Around this time of the year, women’s (but not only) biggest problem is how to keep the weight off, while also being able to indulge at least in some of the holiday treats that seem to literally jump their way everywhere they go.

While some choose not to touch absolutely anything holiday-specific, meaning starving themselves, other go exactly the opposite, saying to themselves that January 1 will bring about a change in dietary habits and the much-desired weight loss. Dieticians say that both approaches are wrong and advise us to “be rational” for once.

Holidays are all about the food and the family dinners, or at least, a lot of emphasis is placed on them. Naturally, we want to be a part of this as well, and that also implies eating traditional food, which, in its turn, becomes unwanted weight. Jennifer Ventrelle, clinical nutritionist and registered dietitian at the Rush University Medical Center, tells HealthDaily that, if we don’t want to have a ruined Christmas, we should forego diets and other ambitious, yet totally arbitrary plans we might have in this sense.

“Trying to diet during the holidays is setting yourself up for failure and personal torture. Set an achievable goal: to maintain your weight through the holiday season,” Ventrelle says, stressing that it’s equally important for our wellbeing that we take part in all the festivities, without making a discordant note from the rest of the people by not eating or drinking for fear of weight gain.

Like any other dietician or nutritionist, Ventrelle too advocates moderation in everything, and this includes the size of the dishes we have at the table. “Take a small first helping. That way, if your host expects you to take seconds, the total will be one normal-size dinner,” she says. This way, she adds, we will make sure we neither offend the host by not enjoying their special treats, nor overeat. It’s a win-win situation, she concludes by saying.